Goal for Old Newsboys remains the same since the 1930s: Every child deserves a gift on Christmas

SYRACUSE, NY -- The goal of the annual Old Newsboys Christmas fundraiser has remained the same for more than 80 years.

"The plan is to raise money enough to ensure against a toyless Christmas for any youngster in Syracuse," according to the Syracuse Herald in 1933.

Old Newsboys was launched in 1932 to raise money to help those in the community who are in need. This year, the campaign has the same goal.

Hope for the Holidays Old Newsboys campaign raises money for the Christmas Bureau, which is sponsored by the United Way and The Salvation Army. The Christmas Bureau provides not only gifts for Christmas, but food and other items for local families.

The Christmas Bureau anticipates that this year's need for toys and books will exceed more than 7,000 children. Hundreds of volunteers will hit the streets Friday and Saturday selling special editions of The Post-Standard to raise money.

Volunteers will be stationed on street corners, stores and gas stations, hawking newspapers for donations with the same message to the community from the 1930s: "Buy a paper ... give what you can."

The newspapers are donated and all of the money goes to the Christmas Bureau. In 1932 volunteers raised $1,800. which was used to buy coal to heat the homes of the poor. In 1933 all the money raised went to the Christmas Toy Fund. Last year, about $51,000 was raised to buy books, toys and food for 2,684 families in need.

Another staple of the annual fundraiser has been friendly competition between those hawking the papers.

To keep volunteers from fighting over the best downtown Syracuse street corners in 1933, locations were assigned. Those selling newspapers at the time were described as the "biggest men in town, business and professional men, heads of businesses, and former newsboys."

Friendly competition between teams will continue again this year as several teams try to become the top earner. The Ancient Order of Hibernians has been the top-grossing team for several years. Last year the group brought in about $16,000. This year they are hoping to stay in the leader position.

All the money collected through paper sales or donations goes to the Christmas Bureau. Donations also can be mailed directly to The Post-Standard at Attention Circulation, Diana Cavender, 101 North Salina St., Syracuse, NY 13202. Donations can also be made online.

Tom Brown, chairman of the Old Newsboys sale and the newspaper's circulation director, said the Christmas Bureau does so much more than just provide a toy on Christmas.

"They provide hope," he said. "They are meeting the needs of needy families in CNY. It's giving hope to a child that things will be better."

Salvation Army Executive Director Linda Wright said the Old Newsboys campaign is an important part of the Christmas Bureau, which is supported by numerous local organizations. The money collected by the campaign helps purchase additional gifts for the Christmas Bureau, which gives parents the opportunity to select the perfect present for their child.

"Every child deserves to have a special gift under the Christmas tree," she said.